Intellectual Property Office: "Patent Examination for AI and Biotechnology Startups to Be Shortened to Within One Month"

The patent examination period for startups in the artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced biotechnology sectors will be shortened to within one month. The goal is to invigorate startup creation and support their rapid entry into the market.

The Intellectual Property Office announced that, starting on the 23rd, it will introduce and operate a "Dedicated High-Speed Examination Track" for AI and advanced biotechnology startups.

Jeong Yeonwoo, Deputy Director of the Intellectual Property Office, is briefing on the establishment of a 'Dedicated Ultra-fast Examination Track' at Government Complex Daejeon on the 23rd. Intellectual Property Office

If an application is processed under the high-speed examination, the applicant will be able to receive the patent examination result within one month. Considering that the average examination period for ordinary examinations is 14.7 months, the examination period will be shortened by 13.7 months.

The dedicated high-speed examination track applies to patent applications filed by startups, venture companies, and Innobiz-certified companies in AI and advanced biotechnology fields, where technological change is rapid and technology-based growth potential is deemed high. For these fields, around 2,000 high-speed examination cases per year are expected for each sector.

By shortening the examination period, the Intellectual Property Office aims to support AI and biotechnology startups in swiftly securing their rights and to bolster the current startup boom.

Separately, companies participating in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' support program for startup companies expanding overseas will also be eligible to apply for export promotion high-speed examinations. In addition, without any bureaucratic barriers between ministries, the government will push to expand the scope of prioritized examinations to include prospective startups that utilize technologies owned by universities and public research institutes, so that such technologies do not remain unused.

The previous system restricted startup use because it required concrete export performance. According to the Intellectual Property Office, even startups without any export record will now be able to receive high-speed examinations if they participate in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' support program for startup companies entering overseas markets.

Furthermore, support for prospective entrepreneurs will be strengthened so that, when technologies owned by universities and public research institutes are being prepared for commercialization through the participation of prospective entrepreneurs, affiliated professors, or researchers, they can apply for prioritized examinations.

Jung Yeonwoo, Deputy Commissioner of the Intellectual Property Office, said, "To invigorate technology-based startups, what matters most is the swift securing of rights," adding, "The Intellectual Property Office will establish a dedicated high-speed examination track for startups in the AI and biotechnology sectors and, through the continuous increase of examiners, will support startups in all technology fields so that they can secure patent rights at an early stage."